We're Avid & Wise, We're discussing our Buys, we're not so keen on Flys, We prefer Peep-toe Sky-Highs!!

[LetThemEatCake]

sorry couldn't help myself

Happy Easter!
Notyummy - so jealous! your break away sounds lovely.. what are you thinking of packing?

hells, i have been thinking a while about nightwear too! I am pondering bravissimo as I get my underwear from them and know they are good for big bra sizes
have you seen their night stuff? I thought about getting a couple of the support PJ tops and mixing and matching with some nice bottoms from somewhere else as not that keen on the bravissimo bottoms

I have pigged out today. Huuuuuuge roast lamb for lunch and lots of chocolate eggs!

I have also had a personal shopper in Topshop and it was fab although I spent too much. Hope yours proves useful in finding a leather jacket hells.

I am an ecologist, working for a charity. They have been pretty flexible about my returning to work to the same senior position after 2 dcs so I feel pretty lucky.

However I spend many of my work days in fleeces!!! Hence my desperate need for style guidance from you ladies in my free time!

Am doing a Next order as DS1 has had a growth spurt and is sporting ankle swingers for most of his trousers!
After a rummage through the new summer catalogue I have picked out a few bits for me as well. What do you all think of these???

cream dress
pink sundress
and neutral ballerinas

Notyummy - I am totally at your child free time. Much as I love my DCs - do find it very important to have time alone with DH so I remember why I married him.

Esher - have your bags turned up yet - I keep thinking about your muted metallic one - it was so gorgeous.

I too have eaten loads today - will hopefully go for a run tomorrow to try and make amends. I really must start doing pilates or something to get rid of that stubborn band of fat round my middle - damned apple shape.

Hells - I tend to wear a lot of white company pj bottoms and cheapy white vest tops with hidden support from m&s.

I must say ASOS customer service is fab - I returned a jacket (the hobbs nw3 one) that I'd bought over a month ago and they've just refunded me no questions asked.

Liking the cream dress Fel1x.

I am mulling over the packing. So far forecast is good, but not warm - although might have been a bit much to hope for. I have recently bought

this

and

these

and they haven't been worn so will be taking them.

I have this to wear during the day with flat and leggings

I also bought this a couple of months ago - and it looks AMAZING on. I have worn it to work and don't think I have ever had so many ladies comliment me on a dress! Looks ok with leggings and flats during the day, or more dressy in the evening.
Have these and this on order - but don't think they will arrive.

Also a myriad of nice 'going out' gear that rarely sees the light of day and isn't current so I can't link to. Have a satin stretchy tulip skirt that is sexy, plus numerous dresses for a lifetsyle I no longer have!

Hello

Notyummy - vv jealous over here too!!!! Having spent Easter Sunday lunch at one of our favourite lunch spots with two v v 'hyper' children...(although baby was a dream!!!)...I am feeling frazzled and soooo in need of 'time out' too......

Hope you have a fabulous time! I love Cheltenham, and HdV always good I usually find. Lucky girl...Actually we said we must do a lunch there 'on our own' whilst out today...and some shopping too... but we only live about 1/2 hour away, and Granny hasn't offered yet to have any stay overs , even though DS (eldest) is 3.5....oh well...

Hells - yes, still looking for gorgeous pj/loungey stuff too....White Co do seem to have some nice stuff Tracey - funnily have their brochure open at the Natalie Lace Trim nightwear ...soo pretty...

After frazzled lunch came home and tried to order a few Boden items - but hey guess what, out of stock, and trying to find the 'perfect' Breton top....Oasis long lean one quite nice...any other suggestions....

Cam across website declaring what 'every woman should have in her wardrobe'...

Burberry trench
pair of C L's
Breton top (even Kathy Beale, sorry, Kate Moss is seen wearing one!!!)
Lanvin dress
D & G LBD
Chanel 2.55
Oh, can't remember the others but you get the gist....
I would have said white shirt, perfect tee, and perfect jeans, but hey ho!

Glad you found your purse Tracey....
Choo - am going to do another purge on my wardrobe...Bloody fed up with most of my stuff, and want to make room for more!!!
And, its all Cakeys fault, but have ordered
some maxis from .....!!!! Plus, Cakey,

Lanvin dress

I wish...

Do they do a diffusion line??

You see I don't really 'get' Lanvin - too drapey for me. I think you need to be tall to wear it although I didn't like Sigourney Weaver's oscar dress and she's tall and that was Lanvin I think.

My list of must-haves would change every year and I would get so bored of wearing the same coat year in year out.

Bunjie - was in HR, BC. Very involved role, specialising in Employee Relations (so, Tribunal work etc...blah, blah, blah). Covering UK so loads of travel... Unceremoniously got pg with No2 when on mat leave with No1 (didn't go down well!!!!), (and unsurprisingly Director designation mysteriously hit the dust upon announcement of pg's)...

Glad not to be in it now though...could not have sustained and DH travels with work so virtually impossible...

With Tracey - want to get back into something when babe at school- something lucrative, but not like my 'old' career at all.

Tracey- I agree...Your sentiments about 'classics' (i.e. that even they change subtly ) really made me think....I feel that old favourites mussed up, and made edgier is the way to go ! Yes, my list of 'must haves' would change too...although I am unspeakably conservative about my watch and other (minimal) jewellery...

Notyummy - packed yet? Like the dress, where are you planning to wear that then Missus?

And, do you pack for your DH because mine, without exception, expects me to pack for himn too when we go away...????

Will probably wear the maxi out to dinner and drinks, as I find the HdV bar/bistro is good in that you can wear jeans and tshirt right up to dinner jackets and ladies equivalent and no one bats an eyelid! The Harrogate one (where I used to live - and hence drank in the bar regularly) was often full of WAGs and minor TV soap stars and I used to love ogling the clothes!

DH does his own - and my (and dds) packing! I leave out what I want to take and a magic fairy makes everything fit neatly in the bags. There are benefits in being married to a military man!

Hi all. Just signing in to feedback on the stadium squall 'school run coat'

Major dissapointment, it was massive on me, I am only 5ft tall but it was the general largeness rather than the length that was an issue. So going back, unfortunately at my expense

Tracey do you have a link to the timberland coat you bought?

Also hasbeen wearers what's the sizing like please - hoping to order this week.

Bunjies I'm a pharmacist, work part time 3 days a week. Not the usual 'Boots' type, but work as a prescribing advisor to Gps - so public sector again!

Finally anyone else not really sure about their 505 nail varnish? I think it only seems to look ok in certain lighting - usually dim! (I have brown skin)

NotYummy - very jealous of your weekend away sans kids. Those jigsaw cuffed silky trousers look very nice (although I am poss too short to wear them). It would be nice if they came in a lighter colour for summer say a grey or a beige. What were you planning on teaming them with?

We have been trying to sort out the garden this weekend - shovelling gravel onto the footpath and driveway and scrubbing down the patio which was absolutely filthy. Had a day off today to go out for a family lunch at nice gastro-pub and wore some of my new nude stuff for the first time.
Today I was wearing: long sleeved nude top (topshop) layered over nude vest (asos), this cardigan, these trousers and a thin wool nude tie-dye scarf (zara). Wasn't really sure what shoes to wear so went for black medium heel ankle boots. It kind of looked ok but a bit boring-ish.

Tracey - the bags arrived. Definitely not keeping the bling one as the leather is very strange - is tissue paper thin and the scales are sort of flaky (on purpose I think, (is that what real python is like ) so I think it would wear very badly. Plus the double handles are a bit strange.
I thought the muted metallic one was very nice and is a very wearable colour. DH rained on my parade slightly by saying he didn't think it was anything special and to send it back. He normally has quite good taste in bags so I was a bit unsure but on reflection I think I will keep as is a good price (got an additional 20% off) and the colour is very wearable - is neither silver or gold but sort of inbetween so can combine with most other metallic shades. The tassel on the side is much more over-sized than it looks online which my dd's liked .

Dolcee - funnily enough I was looking at Burberry trenches online last night and musing over their classicness/investment buy etc etc. Am considering the Kew one instead.

BC I was a finance lawyer at a magic circle firm. I actually gave up before (in order to get) pg with DD1 so have been out of job market for 6 years now . Whilst having absolutely no desire to go back to my old job (incredibly stressful and un-family friendly) I do sometimes wonder what else I could do once both dd's are at school.....

I wondered where you lot had got to with your wisebuys.Just marking my place.I like to nosy at your links.

eshermummy - not sure what I am going to wear them tbh. I have a Jigsaw silver/grey thin knitted top which is a possibility. Also a couple of dark blue with bling singlets (that doesn't sound too appealing - but they good on, honest.) Basically something fairly fitted. I have slim waist/tummy/top half - not so much the bottom and thighs though!

That Oliver Bonas dress is beautiful, notyummy.

I like the cream one you linked to, Fel1x, but can't quite imagine how it can be polyester . Looks like it should be a light cotton...

If anybody is interested in the peacock print animal maxi it was £15 off in store yesterday. Sadly at 5' 4/5" it swamped me (despite only just coming to the floor in my bare feet, I think the ruffle at the bottom made the proportions all wrong). Nice fabric, though, and I was sad that neither it nor the matching skirt were good for me.

AllBuggiedOut, I liked the animal maxi, but even at 5ft 7 the ruffles would widen my lower regions too much.
I ordered the fatface navy dress, but it's going back as the dipped hem was too angular and made a frame which said 'look at these horrid saggy knees, everyone.'
I'm pondering this, although the bustline looks like it might not accommodate FFs (freakish? Moi?)

Very envious of your HDV visit, NY - we went there last year for a couple of nights and I didn't want to leave (don't get out much emoticon.)

Am very at your kid free trip yummymummy and at all the mini eggs you lots have been scoffing - yet another thing thats yet to make it into the shops over here - sigh! Agree with HF re not getting sucked into the whole party bag thing. In the past I've just wrapped a small tin tube of pencils to look like a cracker and this year found some lovely wooden pens (with animal heads - bit like the ones here but mine were from a cheap Poundland type shop!) which I tied a label with nice ribbon which said DS2 (insert name) is 3 and left it at that. Also gave cake of course! Love the OB dress btw!
Sorry to hear the coat is no good Zembo.
Love the cream dress from Next Fel1x - had been eying up the necklace thats on the
model too!
Re PJ's - I like cotton wide leg bottoms - mostly from M&S but am like HF and like shoulders covered so buy stretchy cottons T's (mostly in white come to think of it) to wear with them. White Company stuff is lovely. (Not PJ's but like this jumper here

Have a family day with the ILs today incl. two SILs (one lovley, one slightly manic and loud!) - going for a walk in some woods. Boys love playing with their cousins so hopefully an ok day! Spent a chunk of yesterday clearing out the attic (oh the glamour) but managed to get DH to part with his old junkstuff thats been sitting in boxes since we moved here and now have lots more storage space & everything is better organised. Am actually one of those sad types that loves a good clear out and then wallows in smug contentment for a few days afterwards! Now need to tackle my wardrobe!

Yes, I don't think I am going to succumb to competitive party-bag-ness. Apart from anything else I do not have the time to be handmaking personalized party bags, yet alone sourcing the 25 (yes, thats 25!!) separate presents that were in dds yesterday. Thanks for the top tips hana and oww.

I have that Animal dress on order - am a bit taller than the two who have tried it thus far (5 10) so will see what it looks like. I am not exactly short of maxis, so if it is not spot on it will be returned....

25?!

Hey Sister! used to do some good pjs with vests that had built in support. You could get them in John Lewis, but I haven't seen them for ages. I also have a Fat Face pair (you lot are going to think that's the only place I ever shop that have a thick ribboned seam under the bust which are very comfy and give light support, but this season's styles are just plain vests. Am a big pj fan so will keep my eyes open for you, hellsbelles

So many pwetty links! Esher you must keep the muted bag it's gorgeous!

Somewhat horrified by your news of party bags! I have not had the joy yet

Hmm I have been ever so good and have purchased nothing whatsoever for a long time (read: about a week) I am having a fantasy love affair with overpriced clothes, lanvin bags, and this breton top and this trench are currently being considered as everyday essentials.. but the voice of reason exclaims that zara will have a trench that is cheaper and more classic and probably some nice tops, too.. also whenever I wear breton stripes (love them) DP declares I look like a burglar.. so I say 'really?' and he says 'yes or a big fat french onion seller' so I glare at him.. perhaps I lack the je ne sais quoi to carry them off...'I still like them' I say 'you wouldn't if you looked in a mirror' he replies.

bunjies I'm a trainee solicitor on a break with DCs.. v boring stuff though mostly personal injury and some clin neg. Would love to do something different actually

Oh I was wondering what colours would suit me, you lovely lot know your stuff.. I can't work out if I am a 'winter' or 'autumn' colour-wise.. Have dark brown-black hair with the occasional wayward red bit in it, have hazel eyes that are mainly green, and what other describe as olive skin which is currently very very pale as no sun exposure but I tan easily. I look shockingly awful in white. Ideas? Does it make much difference anyway?

tracey did you ever get your alex Monroe bee? 15% off with code SHEERLUXE at checkout but offer only lasts another day or so